Synchronization is a central feature in human-robot interaction, especially
when both entities need to perform movements in synergy. This is
particularly relevant for assistive robots connected in parallel
(exoskeletons) or in series (artificial limbs) to human biological limbs.
In such cases, robots have to support or augment the human user without
hindering the intended movement. This requires to timely detect the user’s
motor intention and continuously adapt to rhythmic motor features that vary
with time (step/stride length, phase, frequency, etc.). Achieving this is
central to enable the robotic system to be perceived as a natural extension
of the body. Synchronization is also a fundamental mechanism in the human
and animal nervous system. Cortical regions communicate with each other by
synchronizing their firing patterns, while spinal Central Pattern
Generators and synergies are thought to play a prominent role for
coordinating – and thus synchronizing – large sets of muscles involved in a
large repertoire of motor tasks. This workshop is organized in 2 sessions
providing theoretical and experimental insights into aspects including:
biological synchronization mechanisms, computational approaches for
synthetizing bio-inspired mechanisms, and translational approaches to
neurorehabilitation and assistive robotics.